Fall 2025 promises to be filled with bright events around the world: from massive music tours to street festivals and ancient traditions. We’ve prepared handy collections to help you catch the most exciting ones:
- Concerts and music / film festivals: world star tours, opera festivals, movie premieres and festivals from London to Tallinn.
- Sporting events: from marathons and cycling races to sailing regattas and Formula 1. Find out when and where to cheer on your favorite athletes (or join in yourself!).
- Holidays and rituals: local and global celebrations, from Mexico’s Day of the Dead and India’s Diwali to Finland’s herring market and Sweden’s Cinnamon Bun Day.
- Fall preview: festivals and events in Asia: a separate guide to holidays, exhibitions, and cultural happenings in Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries this fall.
Planning an autumn trip or just looking to add more color to your daily life? Explore our selections and choose an event that suits your style.
FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS
World-Renowned Events
Oktoberfest 2025
Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival, held in Munich since 1810. Each year it attracts millions of visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy German beer, traditional cuisine, rides, and parades in folk costumes. The main venue is Theresienwiese.
Admission to the festival grounds is free, but table reservations in the tents must be made in advance. Beer prices range around €13–15 per liter. Rides and food are paid separately.
Dates: September 20 – October 5, 2025
Address: Theresienwiese, Munich, Germany
Website: oktoberfest.de
Besides Oktoberfest in Germany and Austria, small mountain villages host Almabtrieb throughout September on weekends — a charming traditional celebration where flower-crowned cows return from alpine pastures, without the tourist crowds.
Venice Biennale 2025
The Venice Biennale is one of the most prestigious events in the world of contemporary art. Held every two years, it transforms the entire city of Venice into a giant gallery. The main venues are the Arsenale and Giardini, but exhibitions and installations appear all over the city.
Tickets can be purchased online. A full ticket costs about €30. Subscriptions, group, and reduced-price tickets are also available. Booking in advance is recommended.
Dates: May 10 – November 23, 2025
Address: Arsenale & Giardini, Venice, Italy
Website: labiennale.org
Festival of Lights Berlin 2025
The Festival of Lights is a spectacular light show that takes place annually in Berlin. The city’s most famous buildings and streets are transformed with video projections, installations, and animations, creating a magical night-time atmosphere. Highlights include Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, Alexanderplatz, and more.
The festival is free and open to everyone. You can also buy tickets for guided light tours or light cruises. The full program is published closer to the event dates.
Dates: October 10 – 19, 2025
Address: Central Berlin, Germany
Website: festival-of-lights.de
Festival of Lights in Lyon 2025
Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights) is an annual event held in Lyon, France, over four evenings around December 8th, in honor of the Immaculate Conception. The city transforms with light installations and art projections on buildings, squares, and parks, including Place Bellecour, Hôtel de Ville, Saint-Jean Cathedral, and Parc de la Tête d’Or.
The festival is free to attend, but to stay warm, visitors often buy roasted chestnuts, vin chaud (mulled wine), and street food. Christmas markets with wine and regional delicacies also open in the city center.
Dates: Friday, December 5 to Monday, December 8, 2025 (4 nights around December 8)
Address: Lyon, France (central districts including Presqu’île and Vieux‑Lyon)
Website: fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr
Burning Man 2025
Burning Man is a cult event held annually in the Black Rock Desert (Nevada, USA). The week-long festival gathers around 70,000 participants who create a temporary city, “Black Rock City.” The focus is on art, radical self-expression, community, and sustainability. Throughout the week, the site hosts art installations, themed camps, performances, and fire shows, culminating in the burning of the large wooden figure known as “The Man.”
Tickets go on sale in stages and sell out quickly. Prices start at $575 and up. Participants must prepare in advance by bringing food, water, shelter (tents or RVs), costumes, and all essentials for autonomous desert living. First-timers are encouraged to read the “Ten Principles of Burning Man.”
Dates: August 24 – September 1, 2025
Address: Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
Website: burningman.org
Regional Celebrations
Fête des Vendanges de Lutry 2025
Fête des Vendanges de Lutry is a traditional grape harvest festival in the scenic town of Lutry on Lake Geneva. The colorful event features music, dancing, wine tastings, and parades, including a procession of wine guilds and performances by schoolchildren in costume. The village fair atmosphere makes it a favorite among locals and tourists.
Admission is free, but wine tastings and some activities require purchasing tokens or a festival glass. A wine glass costs around CHF 10–15 and grants access to tasting stands.
Dates: September 26–28, 2025
Address: Old Town Lutry, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
Website: fetedesvendanges.ch
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre 2025
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre is a traditional wine harvest festival held in the heart of Paris, near the famous Clos Montmartre vineyard. Celebrated since 1934, it includes parades, concerts, exhibitions, street food, fireworks, and celebrations of Parisian culture. It’s one of the few urban wine festivals and one of the most vibrant in Paris.
Most activities are free to attend. Some workshops, tastings, and guided tours require registration or tickets (typically €5–20).
Dates: October 8–12, 2025
Address: Montmartre, Paris, France
Website: fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com
National Wine Day in Moldova 2025
National Wine Day is held annually on the first weekend of October in Chișinău. The celebration honors Moldova’s rich winemaking tradition with tastings from over 60 producers, masterclasses, a “wine school,” cultural shows, and bus tours to top wineries including Cricova, Mileștii Mici, Asconi, Purcari, and others.
Entry to the main square is free, but tastings and activities require purchasing coupons or a wine pass. Guests can take winery tours and participate in tastings, often requiring pre-registration. Accommodation and tours should be booked in advance as the number of visitors grows yearly.
Dates: October 4–5, 2025 (Saturday–Sunday)
Address: Great National Assembly Square, Chișinău, Moldova; winery tours in Codru, Purcari, Cricova, Mileștii Mici, Asconi
Website: wineofmoldova.com
Fantasy Fest 2025
Fantasy Fest is a 10-day costumed carnival in Key West, Florida. It attracts thousands of visitors annually and is considered one of the most extravagant Halloween celebrations in the U.S. The program includes street parties, parades, costume contests, themed events, and charity fundraisers. Each year features a new theme, creating an atmosphere of fantasy, carnival, and radical self-expression.
Most events are free, but access to parties, cruises, and VIP areas may require tickets (ranging from $15 to $150 depending on the event). Some activities are adults-only (21+).
Dates: October 17–26, 2025
Address: Key West, Florida, USA
Website: fantasyfest.com
EXHIBITIONS & FAIRS
Major Exhibitions
Yayoi Kusama at Fondation Beyeler 2025–2026
Yayoi Kusama Retrospective at the Fondation Beyeler is the first major exhibition of the iconic Japanese artist in Switzerland. The show spans over 70 years of her creative journey — from early works to the famous “Infinity Mirror Rooms” — and traces the evolution of her unique style combining pop art, minimalism, and psychedelia.
Tickets are available online. General admission costs around CHF 30, with discounts for students, youth, and seniors. Advance booking for a specific date and time slot is recommended.
Dates: October 12, 2025 – January 25, 2026
Address: Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland
Website: fondationbeyeler.ch
Unicorns: Mythical Creatures in Art
“Unicorns: Mythical Creatures in Art” is an exhibition at the Barberini Museum dedicated to the cultural and artistic symbolism of unicorns. It features artworks from different eras and regions — from medieval manuscripts to contemporary art — exploring how unicorn imagery has evolved through the centuries.
Full-price tickets cost around €16. Family tickets and discounts for students, seniors, and groups are available. Tickets can be purchased on the museum’s official website.
Dates: October 25, 2025 – February 1, 2026
Address: Museum Barberini, Potsdam, Germany
Website: museum-barberini.de
The Grand Tour at Mauritshuis
“The Grand Tour” exhibition at the Mauritshuis offers a glimpse into the 18th century when young European aristocrats embarked on educational journeys across Europe. The display showcases artworks collected during these Grand Tours, highlighting how travel shaped taste and art collections of the time.
Tickets are available online. General admission is about €17. Discounts are offered for children, students, and museum cardholders.
Dates: September 18, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Address: Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands
Website: mauritshuis.nl
Sportel Monaco 2025
Sportel Monaco is a prestigious international exhibition and conference focused on sports media, technology, and business. It brings together representatives from broadcasters, streaming platforms, sports leagues, clubs, and brands. The program includes B2B meetings, presentations, and panel discussions with industry leaders.
Participation requires pre-registration. Accreditation costs depend on participant category. While the event is geared toward professionals, some sessions may be livestreamed.
Dates: October 20–22, 2025
Address: Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
Website: sportelmonaco.com
Thematic Events
Dutch Design Week 2025
Dutch Design Week (DDW) is the largest design event in Northern Europe. Held annually in Eindhoven, it brings together designers, artists, architects, and technologists from around the world. The event features exhibitions, installations, lectures, and labs focused on sustainable and innovative design.
Tickets are available online. A festival pass costs around €25, while a day ticket starts at €10. Multiple locations are spread throughout the city and accessible with a single pass.
Dates: October 2025 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Address: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Website: ddw.nl
Frankfurt Book Fair 2025
Frankfurt Book Fair is the world’s largest book event, bringing together publishers, authors, agents, illustrators, journalists, and readers from across the globe. First held in 1949, it’s a major platform for contract deals, book launches, and discussions about the future of publishing. In addition to trade-only days, there are public events on the weekend.
Tickets are available online. Trade days are October 15–17. Public days are October 18–19. General public tickets cost around €25 per day. Discounts are available for students and youth.
Dates: October 15–19, 2025
Address: Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Website: buchmesse.de
Lucca Comics and Games 2025
Lucca Comics and Games is the largest pop culture festival in Europe, held in the medieval city of Lucca, Tuscany. It celebrates comics, video games, board games, cosplay, anime, fantasy, and sci-fi. The streets of the city turn into a massive stage with pavilions, fairs, cosplay parades, and concerts.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online. Daily ticket prices range from €20 to €30 depending on the day. Festival passes and discounted categories are available. Ticket quantities are limited, so early booking is highly recommended.
Dates: October 29 – November 2, 2025
Address: Historic center of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
Website: luccacomicsandgames.com
Salon du Chocolat 2025
Salon du Chocolat is a prestigious international chocolate and confectionery exhibition in Paris. It brings together top chocolatiers, brands, cocoa producers, and pastry chefs from around the world. Visitors can enjoy masterclasses, tastings, live shows — including the famous chocolate fashion show.
Tickets are available online. A day ticket costs approximately €16 for adults and €8 for children. Family tickets are also available. Participation in masterclasses may require separate registration.
Dates: October 29 – November 2, 2025
Address: Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
Website: salonduchocolat.fr
